Dglucosides

D-glucosides are glycosides in which the sugar component is D-glucose. In most natural glucosides, the glucose unit is connected through an O-glycosidic bond at the anomeric carbon (C1) to a non-sugar moiety called the aglycone, forming an O-glucoside. The glucose can be part of a simple glucoside or part of a disaccharide in more complex glucosides. The configuration at the glucose anomeric center can be alpha or beta, with beta-D-glucosides being especially common in nature.

Biosynthesis and metabolism depend on glycosyltransferases that transfer glucose from UDP-glucose to an aglycone, producing D-glucosides that often serve storage, transport, or detoxification roles in plants. These compounds can be mobilized by β-glucosidases, which hydrolyze the glycosidic bond to release glucose and the aglycone. The released aglycone frequently carries the biological activity of the glucoside, while the glucose moiety modulates solubility and stability.

D-glucosides occur widely in plants as secondary metabolites. Examples include salicin, a glucoside of salicyl alcohol; arbutin, a glucoside of hydroquinone; and amygdalin, a cyanogenic diglucoside associated with bitter almonds. Such glucosides can contribute to fragrance, color, flavor, or defense, and some serve as precursors for pharmaceutical or cosmetic ingredients.

Properties of D-glucosides are strongly influenced by the sugar moiety, which typically imparts increased water solubility and facilitates transport and storage. Safety and biological effects often depend on the capacity to enzymatically release the aglycone; in cyanogenic glucosides, hydrolysis can produce toxic compounds such as hydrogen cyanide.